GEORGE TOWN, May 24 – State opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid grilled Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over the method of the RM156 million Lebuhraya Peel land deal for a hospital expansion project by a foreign investor was executed. She said there is so much secrecy shrouding the land sale deal and it was a fast tracked via direct negotiations instead of going through an open tender.
In respond, Lim said the land deal was not fast tracked as the state government has received the investment proposal from the foreign investor in 2015. He said Penang State Government has welcomed the proposal and agreed to be consider on the proposal.
He said on Aug 11, 2015, Island Hospital Sdn Bhd has submitted an application to applied the purchase of the 6.443 acres of land in Lebuhraya Peel. He also said that the Northeast land and district office then applied the latest valuation of the land from the Land Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) through a letter dated Aug 27, 2015.
He said JPPH informed that the land was valued at RM156 million for freehold or RM148 for a 99 years leasehold in a letter dated Oct 13, 2015. He also added that the ownership of the land was transferred to the Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) on Dec 16, 2015 and an offer letter was given to Island Hospital on July 12, 2016.
He said this during his winding up session at the State Legislative Assembly sitting here this evening. He also pointed out that the land was sold to Island Hospital under a 99-year leasehold for RM156 million as opposed to the RM148 million recommended by JPPH. Lim said the land deal was not announced earlier as it was a big investment involving foreign investor, who had their own conditions and confidentiality clause.
Island Hospital has plans to build an “Island Medical City” with a 1,000-bed hospital. He said the project would provide Penang with over 2,000 job opportunities, covering basic labour to medical specialists. Island Hospital, located at a corner of Macalister Road and Peel Avenue, is currently a 300-bed private hospital. It has been awarded the 2017 Medical Tourism Hospital of the year by Frost and Sullivan. — PN
